little) space there is at the beginning of a line, but indenting
LilyPond code like this makes it much easier for humans to read.
-@warning{each note is relative to the previous note in
-the input, not relative to the @code{c''} in the initial
+@warning{each note is relative to the previous note in the input,
+only the first is relative to the @code{c''} in the initial
@code{@bs{}relative} command.}
@cindex absolute note names
So far we have always used @code{\relative} to define pitches.
-This is the easiest way to enter most music, but another way of
-defining pitches exists: absolute mode.
+This is usually the fastest way to enter most music. Without
+@code{\relative}, pitches are interpreted in absolute mode.
-If you omit the @code{\relative}, LilyPond treats all pitches as
-absolute values. A @code{c'} will always mean middle C, a
-@code{b} will always mean the note one step below middle C, and a
-@code{g,} will always mean the note on the bottom staff of the
-bass clef.
+In this mode, LilyPond treats all pitches as absolute values. A
+@code{c'} will always mean middle C, a @code{b} will always mean
+the note one step below middle C, and a @code{g,} will always mean
+the note on the bottom staff of the bass clef.
@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
{
However, absolute mode is useful for music which has large
intervals, and is extremely useful for computer-generated LilyPond
-files.
+files. When cutting and pasting melody fragments, absolute mode
+preserves the original octave.
+Sometimes music is arranged in more complex ways. If you are
+using @code{\relative} inside of @code{\relative}, the outer and
+inner relative sections are independent:
+@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
+\relative c { c'4 \relative c'' { f g } c }
+@end lilypond
+
+@funindex \absolute
+If you are using absolute music inside of relative, you'll need to
+mark the absolute music explicitly with @code{\absolute} to stop
+it from becoming part of the relative music:
+
+@lilypond[verbatim,quote]
+\relative c { c'4 \absolute { f'' g'' } c }
+@end lilypond
@node After the tutorial
@subsection After the tutorial
@item
The pitch of the first note is relative to
@code{@var{startpitch}}. @code{@var{startpitch}} is specified in
-absolute octave mode, and it is recommended that it be a octave of
-@code{c}.
+absolute octave mode. Which choices are meaningful?
+
+@table @asis
+@item an octave of @code{c}
+Identifying middle C with @code{c'} is quite basic, so finding
+octaves of @code{c} tends to be straightforward. If your music
+starts with @code{gis} above @code{c'''}, you'd write something
+like @code{\relative c''' @{ gis' @dots{} @}}
+
+@item an octave of the first note inside
+Writing @code{\relative gis''' @{ gis @dots{} @}} makes it easy to
+determine the absolute pitch of the first note inside.
+
+@item no explicit starting pitch
+This (namely writing @code{\relative @{ gis''' @dots{} @}}) can be
+viewed as a compact version of the previous option: the first note
+inside is written in absolute pitch itself. This happens to be
+equivalent to choosing @code{f} as the reference pitch.
+@end table
+
+The documentation will usually employ the first option.
@end itemize
Here is the relative mode shown in action: